Is This Saving A Life?
by StarBoduognatos
Summary: Due to an accidental wish made with the best of intentions, acts of sacrifice, petty spirits, and fate's idea of a joke, a new plague has been unleashed on the warring states. Will our favorite cast be able to save themselves, let alone the world from the hungry jaws of the undead! Never mind love attempting to spring from the unlikeliest of places.
1. Chapter 1

_**Is This Saving a Life?**_

_Chapter One: Changing_

_~Kagome~_

Have you ever sat around the camp fire with your closest friends and wondered if this would be the last time? It is an utterly terrifying, utterly unreal feeling that I would never wish upon anyone. Where there is typically levity and good natured teasing, all that remains is a grim reality, pondering what tomorrow's final battle will bring.

I watch as my friends stare listlessly into the cheery light of the flames, trying to ignore this overwhelming need to cry. How could this be fair? Sango and Miroku should be married, living the charmed life of newly weds, not whispering their goodbyes in the shadows of the night.

There is a bittersweet feeling, watching them reaching for each others hands, and, petty as it is, I am relieved with the realization that these seasoned warriors are as nervous as I am.

Granted, I'm not the same girl who fell down that well all those years ago either. Those days suddenly feel so far away as I close my eyes for a moment to pray that there will be more tomorrows after that. Speaking of future, my attention moves to the other couple in our group.

Inuyasha has made his choice, or rather he had accepted the choice we all realized he would make without ever realizing it. I am so very glad that the drama is finally over, and he seemed surprised when I told him with complete honesty that I wish them well and feel no ill will towards either of them.

Strangely enough, Kikyo and I have become almost sort of friends. They love each other and no longer have to hide it, and I get the closure I need. I guess that's what you call a win-win situation.

Alright girl. Just breathe. Clear your thoughts and push the negativity away. I mean, thoughts have power right? So we WILL win tomorrow. We WILL kill Naraku and we can ALL restart our lives. With a sigh, I pull Shippo closer to me, letting his familiar scent wash over me. I will protect him, if it was the last thing I do.

**_-.-. .-.-.-_**

_~Kikyo~_

This fight is not going as we had hoped at all. Of course with Naraku dictating the terms of our final battle, we should have been suspicious. However we could never have dreamed of something quite like this.

How could his new reincarnation resist both Kagome's and my holy powers, even when we attack as one? Those vile insects of his swarm around the shapeless behemoth, preventing the monk from using his cursed hand to end this quickly. Even still, we can not attack it directly due to two of his other incarnations deflecting any direct attacks on the abomination. It is beginning to feel a little hopeless, and yet the bastard sits there in his monster spawn, crimson eyes mocking us with laughter at our failed attempts.

It is clear he was toying with us. If I had blood in this clay body of mine, it would be boiling with anger. Instead this eternally cold body keeps my thoughts almost painfully clear.

With another arrow notched into place, I take aim, and find myself frozen, what remains of my soul left cold as I process the scene before me. Naraku's tentacle bursts from the ground, rushing straight towards my beloved's back. I futilely shift my aim, already knowing it's too late.

"INUYASHA!" It seemed like forever before I realize the one who is screaming is me.

Things seem to slow down, if possible becoming worse. Losing Inuyasha would hurt, but I know in the depths of my soul, the group could survive and go on if he fell. However the binding holding all of us together is my future self and I see the ploy too late. The poisoned flesh shifts angles and pain bursts through me as I watch everything go horribly wrong.

Kagome's wide eyes meet mine, the bright blue dulling rapidly as her life's blood pours from her body. The fading light of the day seems to shine on her trembling tired smile , a small trickle of ruby dripping from the corner of her lips.

Of course she would have preferred it to have been her. That frustrating noble streak of hers will forever vex me. She was made to be a true priestess. Self sacrifice comes so easily to her. I feel a stab of envy. But now is not the time for that. While all of the others are frozen, gasps of shock ripping through them, I begin to move once more. My hand can not be stilled when we need action!

My arrow finds it's mark true with the half breed's guard down. His ego demands he flaunt his victory. He deemed us broken without the strange young woman. Whether that is true or not, I will not let her sacrifice be in vain. His mistake is thinking we all would be paralyzed with grief or shock. That misstep will be his down fall.

Mocking laughter twists into screeches of pain. I don't drop my bow as I rush to my fading reincarnation. Inuyasha is holding her, his tears freely pouring from his wounded golden eyes. I don't bother to register the jealousy that the sight would normally cause within me, I do not even pay any mind to Miroku raising a barrier around us.

None of them matter right now, only the fact Kagome is dying and I have a crucial choice to make. One look at her wound, the toxic black sludge creeping through her veins, visibly eating her away before our very eyes kills hope before it can take root. She was doomed... At least she will be if we don't act quickly. Can I be that selfless? Just once more, no, the time for lying to myself is over, for the first time in my life can I be truly selfless? Be the priestess I was always destined to be? Can I make the choice she never hesitates to make?

I never wished to live the life of sacrifice my role demanded, but fate seems to be fickle like that. I look to Inuyasha. We had been so close to the life we had always dreamed of in our stolen moments. Things had finally become whole between us again. As I watch him sit there, once more mourning the loss of a dear woman in his life, I know my choice is made as much as his was.

I love him, but my time, our time, together, it has passed. Stealing my soul back from her now, after all of this, would be too cruel. Somehow, deep down, I know he would no longer see me when he looked at my face. The cruel irony did not escape me. I would be living the life she had been ever since I had been brought back to the realm I was no longer a part of. He would only see a reflection of her. I have been a fool, fighting this, fighting her. She is my future. I was too blinded by darkness to see she always was, and if I selfishly allow her to die now, it would be a future wasted. I will live through her…and that is something I can live with.

I have never missed crying, always finding it a sensation beneath me, but as I take in his pain, I suddenly wished I could show him how much he means to me. How sad I truly am at saying goodbye, and how grateful I am that this time it would be on my terms.

"Inuyasha... I'm sorry." my whisper was soft, for his sensitive ears alone. I will do anything it takes to make sure this woman who will save the world, demon and human alike, survives. With a deep breath, I began throwing up my own barrier, gently reaching out to touch her face that had grown far too pale.

"You will not greet death this day Kagome." I promise, focusing my entire being on this desire. Closing my eyes, I could feel the strands that bound us, my way of always finding her and through her, Inuyasha. Praying with all of my soul that this would work, I yank viciously on that tie, ripping her spirit from her dying body and into my own shell.

I know not if it is her or I who scream, or perhaps both, but I do not care. My mission is clear. The burning pain does not matter, only success in pulling her essence into my body. I feel her toeing the gray line of death and think again forcefully, 'No! Not today!'

I barely notice the familiar power of pink barrier enfolding around us as I begged the bright young woman to cling to life, stepping back into my own mind and pushing her forward as I relinquish control of my vessel to her.

With a sigh of relief, I feel her spark, her will to live flare to life at a shared memory of her holding the young fox back at camp, bright emerald orbs flashing up at her with adoration. Of the slayer and the monk looking at each other with soft smiles, their hands secretly reaching for the other's behind their backs. And then there is him, Inuyasha, his boyish smirk as he stood behind them all, Tessaiga casually propped over his shoulder.

Fanning her will to live I smile slightly, feeling peace stealing over me. Turning my fading gaze to Inuyasha, I feel no regrets. This time, I die knowing it has been worth it. That this time, I have loved with all my heart, and died for his happiness.

"Goodbye Inuyasha. May we meet again." I say softly before falling into the welcoming embrace of nothing.

~Kagome~

I was dying. I know I was... So…why wasn't I dead? Had I missed something?!

I look over to see Inuyasha, his tawny eyes rimmed in red from his tears. Then I realize he is reaching for me but is blocked by a wall of energy. Finally I realize I am holding something. I can't stop the girlish scream that escapes me as I jump away from my own rapidly decomposing body, the stench of miasma closing as I scrabble backwards.

Was that…me? Realization came slowly as I hesitantly looked down at myself, realizing that the white haori and red hakama were in fact…Kikyo's. Glancing back at my decaying form on the ground, I slowly start putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

I am alive…in Kikyo's body.

I pull my focus away from the grotesque sight of my own corpse collapsing in on itself, instead turning toward the screeching form of Naraku, already half purified, reminding me of our current priorities.

Now is not the time to wonder how we played musical chairs with our bodies. We have a battle to win.

With a hiss of anger, I grab the discarded bow beside me, my last arrow is notched and drawn it as far back as I can manage without so much as a thought, my focus only on my target. Reaching for the familiar energy I have trained with for years, I can't help but feel shocked at that difference I in it.

An inferno of holy flames seem to rage inside me at the barest thought.

"Naraku! This will be the end of you! I will never allow you to ever hurt my friends ever again!" I scream as I release the arrow. For a moment I wonder if I use too much energy as a flood of holy power burst through me, over powering the weird looking sludge thing that had been previously nullifying my holy powers.

The world suddenly seem to be covered in the pink and white glow as Naraku and his incarnations attempt to scramble away, dissolving before our very eyes from my power. Naraku's pained screams reach a higher octave, pain morphing to despaired frustration as what should have been his victory becomes his grave, purified along with his newest creation.

There is a stillness in the air as the dust begins to clear. It is soon broken as Miroku lets out a gasp of shock, quickly followed by his sobs reached me, the joy of the broken curse of the wind tunnel forgotten as he and the others move to my fallen body, only a shell of what I had been.

I can only stare at his hand, no longer hidden behind his cloth and rosary, now free from the hellish wind tunnel. I break out of my reverie at the sound of Sango's loud wail, the woman I have grown to see as a sister breaking at the sight of my mutilated body.

"Wait," I call out, startled when she whirls on me with an almost crazed grief driven fury in her dark gaze.

"You undead bitch! You were just waiting for this chance weren't you!" she snarls, raising her hand to slap me. Too startled to do anything I only stand there watching as Inuyasha steps between us, shaking with his own grief. "Kikyo tried to save her." he manages, his cracking voice twisting the icy blade in my heart.

"Tried? I am mostly sure she managed it. Last I checked I am still Kagome." I say, frowning when they tense at my words. I take in the disbelieving gazes of my friends, watching them each search and seem to find something they needed to see. Sango and Miroku's shoulders seem to slump with relief, though questions linger in my friend's curious violet gaze.

My own relief fades as I witness Inuyasha's desperate gaze meet mine, conflicting hope and grief warring within their depths before he seems to crumble in on himself. This time, my heart truly breaks at the sound of his keening howl of pain as he launches off towards the woods, leaving me feeling guilty for something I had no control over.

-.-. .-.-.-

We are too far from a town to find an inn before sunset, however it doesn't take very long for Shippo to sniff out a natural hot spring for us. With the lovey dovey looks Sango and Miroku are sharing, Shippo, Kirara, and I decide we should head to soak on our own and give them some privacy. After our day, it is the least I can do for them. Besides, While the loss of Kikyo does not seem incredibly hard on them, it bothers me and it s killing Inuyasha. He still has not made it back and I can only worry over how long he will be gone and how he will cope with the love of his life gone for real this time. I carefully adjust my pack without dislodging either of my carefully perched companions, following the now visible steam.

I have my mirror with me, but I haven't worked up the courage to look in it yet, carefully setting it face down beside the rock I plan to soak against before I begin to strip away the grime covered priestess clothes that had been Kikyo's. It was a strange feeling, realizing she wouldn't be there anymore. We wouldn't have our quiet late night walks where she would continue my lessons that Kaede had not gotten to before her passing the winter before. No more of the subtle jokes she would make that the others seemed to miss. I know we did not have the best of starts, but in the end, I would like to think she had considered me a friend too. I mean, she sacrificed everything for me. I still am uncertain about what exactly that means for me, and there is the fact we haven't found any sign of the jewel at all which makes me more than a little uncomfortable.

Shippo picks up on my need for a bit of silence and busies himself playing with Kirara who did not seem to have much love for the water, warm or not. Ok so list time:

A. I apparently have a ridiculous store of energy, which kind of makes sense considering Kikyo was so powerful and I've grown a lot on my own too, so there's that.

body is gone and I am now in Kikyo's body, I think, but she always complained of not having a strong sense of sensation where as I am feeling everything even better than I did in my own body, which is a another question to add to the list(note to self mental pin to find out what exactly I am made of.)

3\. Definitely need to get a start looking for the jewel before someone not good finds it and we end up with another Naraku or worse.

Dot point D4. I need to get better at makings lists-

I shake my head quickly, trying to clear away the thoughts as I turn my gaze onto the one constant I know in my life. Shippo is using a small ball of his fox fire to play with Kirara, the small cat demon pouncing after it with a hunter's single minded determination. I can not stifle my giggles when he shifts it just enough that Kirara bounds to catch it, landing directly in the springs with a small splash and an indignant mewl as she scrambles to the shore to begin licking her fur clean.

Maybe life can get back to normal, or some semblance of it. First though, I had to clear this hurdle." Shippo, How do I look now...?" I ask, frowning a little at myself, hearing nerves that made no sense. I mean Kikyo was gorgeous, it's not as if ending up in her body was a curse... except for the fact I had only recently distinguished myself from her.

Shippo's brows furrow into a cute little "v" as he stares intently at me. We had filled him in on the battle, so he knows as much of what happened as we do, but he hasn't commented, only made a point of staying much closer to me. It makes me feel a little guilty honestly. I almost left him alone after promising I would always be there for him, Inuyasha too. The thought of my almost death sends a shiver down my spine and the taste of bile rises in the back of my throat, but that must be in my head, right?

"You look like both of you." he answers, abruptly pulling me from my once more spiraling thoughts. "I can still see my Mamma, but, there's some of her in you too." he says, seeming to struggle to explain himself. I smile, opening my arms for the hug I know he needs as much as I do. With Shippo here with me, and Kirara close by drying herself off, I finally find the courage to peek at my reflection.

Taking a deep breath I pick up the mirror, opening one squinted eye, then another before a surprised gasp escapes me. My own blue eyes are staring at me, a little darker than I remember but still recognizable. Tilting my head I see a familiar flush, but her regal jawline, and nose, but I'm there in my smile. It is strange, and Shippo's words make sense now. It's like I got the best of both of us. I don't know what I expected, but this isn't so bad I guess.

"Can we play a game?" he asks, looking up with those green eyes I can almost never say no to. I mean we are as safe as we have ever been with Naraku gone right? May as well let him have some fun. "Alright, what are you thinking?" I ask, unable to stop a small smile at him.

"Hide and seek!" he declares and I nod my acceptance of his choice and turn around, covering my eyes. "No going too far from the spring though." I caution. I mean, after all, this is still the warning states. me need to tempt fate.

I hear him agreeing to my terms and giggling as she splashes from the water, shaking himself. I start counting from One to Twenty but I stop when his giggles become a yelp of stark fear. Whirling around I stand up, uncaring of my state of dress, or lack there of really, looking for a hint of where he went. I see the leaves rustle on a withered old tree whose branches dip into the water on one side and hear Shippo screaming for me once more, a snuffling groan I don't recognize right after. Kirara is at my side in battle mode with a burst of flames and I am rushing to Shippo's voice, scooping up a hefty branch on my way.

It takes me a moment to process what I am seeing as I circle the tree. It looks like the top half of a bandit is crawling towards the tree where Shippo is perching in, its gnarled, twisted grey hand reaching for the little fox . Zombie. That's the word I am thinking of and I finally process a strange smell. There is the typically rotting corpse you would expect but there is a cloying, oily sweet scent mixed in that it took me a moment to place. Tsubaki carried it and the witch who brought Kikyo back. There is something incredibly dark at work here. Gnashing teeth snap eagerly when Shippo slips a little, frothy slobber running down the creature's rotting face. Talon like claws reach up towards my lovable kit that only wanted a normal night of fun and something snapped in me. " Fucking hell! Was I Jack the freaking Ripper after Kikyo?! Zombies now?!" Ok, so not eloquent, but in my defense, I am pissed. And maybe a little scared but mostly pissed. First I break the jewel on accident, then Naraku, now freaking American B-movie grade undead are wandering Japan in the warning states?! I pray that this is an isolated incident but don't trust my luck as I approach it, a strange sensation crawling over my skin as I stalk towards the not so late, legless bandit.

"Get the hell away from him!" I yell, cursing when the un-dead thing turned towards me. It seems to still, staring at me expectantly with milky sightless eyes, like a trained dog awaiting orders from his master. I can see it still gnashing his nasty teeth, quivering with the temptation of a fresh morsel so close but it does not lunge after me like I expect, it just waits. I am totally hitting my cap of freaky by now.

"Shippo, You ok?" I call out, surprised how level my voice sounds.

"Y-yeah, your eyes are all glowing!" he answers, surprising me, "How are you doing that?!" He stayed high within the tree, seeming to sense to walk on the edge of caution. Which works for me because I have exactly zero ideas on what the heck is going on myself. I'm just as surprised as the next guy but for now, a good start would be copying the movies and smashing this guy's head in like a pumpkin. Definitely going to need another wash to get this guy's splattered rotten brains off of me, but I don't think all of the soap in the world can wash that sound from my ears. The weird smell fades away, and so does the sensation of lightening cracking over my flesh. Kirara uses a burst of fire to burn the corpse and I am left with more questions than answers.

"So much for a break. I guess we get to be zombie hunters next Ship." I sigh, scooping my young fox from the safety of his tree and returning to the water for a quick wash. Now I will have to interrupt Sango and Miroku's hanky-panky time to share the news and we will have to find Inuyasha. Great. Just fan-freaking-tastic. Maybe Miroku would have some answers to all of these questions swirling in my head. Here we go again down the crappy pot hole filled road of my luck

** ~AN~ **

**Ok, so I know I have a bunch of others to work on but I have been stuck on zombies for a bit. Apologies for all of the delays, but in my defense there has been a lot going on, like having to go to physical therapy a lot now after getting hit by a car, right after I moved and lots of other stuff I am sure you all do not really care to hear about. Ok and I may have started playing wow again too... but I will make an effort to focus on writing more. I want to extend a special thank you to Lavixie for acting all beta-y and helping me with some of the depth. Please leave me some feedback, thoughts, etc. Much love guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks. Three weeks is exactly how long it took for this whole undead walking the lands of Japan thing to explode. So long open camping under a night sky, so long peaceful nights in villages. Those that weren't wiped out in the first onslaught of undead breaking from the ground were now struggling to build up walls and secure weapons, mercenaries, anything they could to save themselves. If that were the worst of it I think we could manage, but of course, it is not just the long dead affected, that would be way too easy.

I grunt with the force of my swing, smashing yet another head of the newly dead infected. That's right, it seems like everyone is carrying whatever is causing this plague. Thankfully I can kind of control these shambling monstrosities that are otherwise relentless and we are still no where near figuring out why or how. Any more than four or five in a group and even my weird gift doesn't do much but slow them down. I glance over to my friends. I am glad they all agreed to wearing the protective clothing I managed to fashion for them, but I still do not like how little we know about this things, I mean, Does just a scratch do it? Maybe only biting forces the transformation faster. Inuyasha says he thinks it's a curse because he can't smell anything on them until after they've died once so there went yet another fireside idea shot down.

"Ok guys, I think that's all of them for now." I call out, my weird zombie-dar dying down as we drag the corpses into a pile to be given last rights ( again) before we burn the bodies to help minimize damage. At least that's our hope. I turn my attention to my down trodden half demon friend and inwardly sigh. I mean, I don't know what I can do to help him heal. It's not like there's a hallmark card for," Oh-hey-sorry-I-merged-with-your-resurrected-girlfriend's-body-so-now-you-have-to-kinda-see-her-more-than-you-used-to-every-time-you-look-at-me-so-it-screws-up-your-grieving-process" card.

He gives me a wooden smile that makes me feel like I swallowed a boulder and I feel worse. I mean he is trying. I can't help but get the feeling his lost puppy self is just waiting for some sign from me that he can latch on to me and delude himself into believing she's not gone. However I'm not that girl anymore. That's not my story anymore and it won't ever be again. It doesn't change I feel horrible about his loss, but a relationship built on pity isn't a relationship at all. "'Yasha, you feel like hunting tonight? I am going to make sure the survivors are packed up and ready to travel." I offer, not surprised at all when he jumps at the chance.

I feel Miroku's heavy gaze on my back as I toss a torch onto the makeshift pyre of the dead. Side note, the dead are super flamable, like stupidly so which has made Kirara invaluable to us, more so than she already was. Ok so sue me if I am mentally stalling.

"It would do more harm than good if I gave in." I grumble. And to be completely honest, I haven't liked Inuyasha romantically for a long time. As much as I care about him, I don't love him like that any more. He isn't my happy ever after. Honestly my happy ever after currently consists of seeing Shippo and my friends grow to a ripe old age and them passing quietly in their sleep, with a ridiculous amount of children and maybe grandchildren surrounding them. We still haven't figured out if Kikyo's body means I will age or what but thankfully no urges for souls or brains have troubled my passing thoughts. Coffee maybe but a girl can't expected to get Moondoe's in the warring states era. Oh to have a cup of their sugary sweet over priced caffeine about now... Subletly wiping the drool at the thought away I glance over to Miroku who seems to have given up on his weighted and well intentioned if judge mental stares.

He and Sango are once again putting off their marriage, much to my objections and I can tell it has been wearing on both of my friends, which means it is wearing on me. Unfortunately pig headededness seems to be a trait we all share so no one is moving an inch on our stances.

Shaking those thoughts from my head I focus instead on my task," Alright, men, If I could get four of you up front, three on each side of the group and the rest of you mix with the women children and elderly. My friends will guard the rear and I will lead the way to the demon slayer village." I call out, directing the nervously milling people. We have refortified Sango's village, turning it into as much of a safe haven as we can from the frame work we were left behind. I am just glad the worst of the grief is over for the average villager. Between the wars and now this, I think a lot of humans are growing numb to the drudgery of this existance.

Over the next hour we begin our day long treck. It's not really any safer from day to night but staying still is not an option. There are not really any defensible positions between us and the village so we are going to have to march quickly, and even the children pick up on the need for silence as we travel. I pause, glancing over my newest flock and can't help but feel sad. I mean, kids should be playing and having lessons, not worrying the restless dead will eat their families if they get too loud. We already have three other small villages who have joined our ranks in making the previously abandoned skater village safe and homey.

A flare of demonic energy draws my attention, my bow out and an arrow in place without so much as a thought. It is weak, and we haven't seen any demons affected but that doesn't mean they are immune. My friends all move into position just as quickly. They have learned to trust me in the weeks since Naraku's death and while I'm no master, I can more than hold my own. So long damsel in distress. I can totally handle anything thrown my way...

Ok... Maybe I am wrong because my vision starts bluring with unshed tears the minute I catch sight of the weak signiture. A young dragon, it's egg tooth still in place and bits of obsidian colored shell stuck to its still damp, dark and shimmery scales let's out a pitiful trill, nudging it's parent's remains. While we have not found an infected demon, it appears they can still be killed by those ravenous beasts. A quick glance around reveals three more jewel like eggs, all shifting, ready to hatch.

"Meh, don't even think about it. We have enough mouths to feed." comes Inuyasha's gruff whisper,"They won't make it without their folks anyway."

Which of course garuntees they are coming with us, even if I have to give up some of my rations and hunt a bit more to make sure they stay fed. I begin gathering the remaining eggs and cooing to the baby dragon ignoring Inuyasha's frustrated huff. Any life is precious, especially in times like these. Mostly I am just happy he is showing some sort of reaction again. On impulse I gather the little dragon's shell as well, adding them to the bag.

Eyes like fauceted garnets focus blearily on me, followed by an inquisitive chirp. He, I am almost one hundred percent sure it is a he, wobbles to me unsteadily as Kirara warms a couple of the nesting stones before gently placing them in the pouch with the unhatched. Ruffling her fur I straighten and beging walking as if there were no detour at all and I do not have the world's most adorable little shimmeing black and red dragon hatchling hanging on my chest with his tiny blood red talons digging into my shoulders as he curls around my neck. The whole scene takes less than three minutes and I can not help but feel like it was exactly what was supposed to happen. I mean, how often does someone stumble on baby dragons, even in this strange day and age? Kirara sets fire to the parents remains before catching up to walk along side me, occasionally warming the bag once more.

We make it to the village without anything else popping up, a massive blessing because I wouldn't have heard the end of it from Inuyasha if it went any other way. I am distracted by my thoughts by the contented trilling of the little guy who is busily playing with my hair and his daughter like chirps are contagious. Sango shoots me a smile and shoos me off as she takes over helping the survivors to get settled within our ranks, raising our population to a little over a hundred and fifty people not counting my friends and myself.

Letting myself into my hut, I am greeted by Shippo who is currently making dinner. "Mama!" he exclaims happily, bouncing up to me. I smile as his eyes go wide at my newest charge, stopping short of leaping on me so as not to upset the house cat sized reptile.

"He isn't the only one. I have his siblings in here. They haven't quite left their shells yet." I explain sitting by the fire, and easing my pack into my lap to retrieve the remaining three eggs. I think this is the first time Shippo has been stunned into silence ever maybe, though he quivers in excitement as I pull out first the opal egg, setting it carefully near the warmth of the flames, then the amethyst and jade colored one and finally the mottled orange and yellow egg. They are all as hard as little rocks, their surfaces rough kind of like a shark's skin and warm to the touch. Each is around the size of an ostrich's egg and the first to hatch ended up a little bit bigger than Kirara. If he is anything to judge by, the others should be pretty close in size. The fact he ate two squirrels, three birds and a fish, head and all, before we made it to the village makes me think maybe I should start hunting sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately the others seem to be woken by the warmth of the fire, the yellow and orange egg shifting the fastest before a small hole formed with a sharp crack. So much for preparations. It is almost like Kirara's flames were just enough to keep them alive but not ready to hatch and I promise that cat is getting the biggest fish I catch later in thanks.

Shippo's eyes go even wider and I worry for a moment if they are going to pop right out of his head,"Are they coming now?!" He asks excited, his adorable fluffy fox tail shifting slightly in his excitement.

"Seems that way. Do you have any raw meat near by by chance?" I asked hopefully. I am taken aback at the new light of excitement that lights up his gaze," The hunters just got back a short while before you did! And I learned a new trick while you were gone!" he says, bouncing excitedly on his little paws. He closes his eyes and focuses for a moment before he summons three little rather solid looking blue foxes that look like they are made of his fox fire. He cracks open one eye and then the other before doing an excited little fist pump, a gesture I am one hundred percent sure he picked up from me. "You can touch them! I've been sending them out to help the night sentries and to fetch things for me when I'm busy." he explains happily. Suddenly his reason for showing me makes sense. The little scamp doesn't want to miss the hatching. Chuckling I duffle his hair," Great work." I praise and I mean it. His skills have been growing with leaps and bounds recently, speaking of growing, it looks like he has gained another couple inches recently. Soon I'll have to start working on new clothes for him. A mother's work is never done.

The small foxes slip out of the hut to retrieve food for the sure to be ravenous hatchlings, leaving us to watch their rapidly speeding rocking and wobbling. I am ready to step in if they need help, but I want them to try to hatch on their own. There, the purple and green egg has cracked as well, not terribly far behind the bright yellow and orange egg. That one has a large chunk almost ready to come out completely, it's occupant seeming more than ready to vacate the safety of their egg. The white egg seems to be struggling, but not seeming to show any signs of giving up. Shippo crouches beside me with his little fists clenched tightly, looking like he is silently cheering them on, making me smile. The black dragonling on my shoulders seems to realize where our attention lies and focuses with us, his little wedge shaped head focusing on them as well. The first excited squawking of the yellow baby filling the hut.

During my mental monologue I realize I can't just keep calling them by their colors. They are going to need names. I suppose Shippo can help me with that once they are all hatched. With a small nod of resolution I focus again on the magic happening before my eyes. After all, how often does a human, or whatever I am, get to see dragons hatch? Souta would be so jealous about now. Sadness tinges my smile, drawing Shippo's gaze but I wave off his concern, watching the golden hatching burst from its egg, little wings spreading to reveal the underside of its wings to be a cheerful yellow, orange veins webbing through the scales and intelligent shining eyes blinking at me, the color reminding me of the imperial topaz ring my father had given my mother as an anniversary gift. Shaking from head to cute little ridged tail, little yellow turned to look at its sibblings and lit out what I guess would be an encouraging trilling song before headbutting the pearlesque shell, trying to help the dragon within break free.

I can feel the likely stupid smile on my face, glad to see they have a sense of commraderie before glancing at the dark one clinging to me with a small smile,"So are you lazy or just think they need to do it alone?" I chide him playfully. Red eyes glance back at me and he snorts slightly before returning to watching the others hatch. Ok, that was a little weird, but hey, I am watching dragons hatch, with a fox demon, during a zombie apocalypse in the past, what part of my life is normal?

The green and purple egg splites down the middle, the purple dragon within tumbling from the shell to rock on its back, looking as if it had kicked at the shell and stretched to break free. Shippo let out an excited noise when he realized this one's eyes were bright green, just like his.

"Hey!" I wince slightly as the little guy on my shoulders jumps down, his movements a little more certain than the others as he nudges the purple hatchling back over before moving to help crack open the thicker shelled pearl egg, his wings open for balance flashing his brilliant red underside. He drops his head, moving to the other side of the egg as the gold hatchling who rears up on unsteady legs to hold the egg still. Using the sharp crimson horns, small as they are, he rams it against the shell, small pink spidereblike cracks forming through it. He repeats the action, purple dragon moving to help with talons as well. It's an amazing sight to see them working together, and part of me worries a little bit for the dragon inside.

With a loud cracking sound, the last baby dragon in free, smaller than the others, about Kirara's size and a gorgeous shimmering white, just like its shell. Forced tounges all dart out, each dragon helping groom a sibling clean of the wetness from the egg.

" Want to help me name them?" I whisper to Shippo, afraid to be too loud and break the moment. He blinks up and me and nods excitedly, pointing to the black and red dragon," He makes me think of the night sky on a blood moon. " he points out. I have to agree but I want to refrain from anything too violent in their names. My clever little fox has a solution as he offers," Yoru."

I nod in agreement, glancing at the other three," That one has peach colors on its wings, so Momo ?" I offer. Shippo nods his agreement as brilliant pink orbs glitter up at him, blinking slowly as it stretches it's nearly translucent wings to reveal a pale pink membrane underneath.

"Momo's a boy like Yoru. The other two are girls. " Shippo says, pointing to his nose before I can ask how he is so sure. Smiling I once again ruffle his hair, dying the last two, the cheerful gold dragonling catching my attention and reminding me of a familiar happy face I have not seen in a few months,"She is Shitorin." I say firmly, drawing an approving chirp from the hatchling in question. I look down to Shippo,"Last one's all you." I encourage him, watching him struggle with coming up with a name, seeming to try many in his head before discarding them as not good enough,"Tama." he finally decides, pointing to her jade colored shell and the flecks of jade in her emerald gaze. Nodding in agreement I sit back with my legs crossed, giggling when Yoru begins shepphering the others to my lap to climb into my waiting arms.

The foxes return, each carrying cloth bundles bigger than they are. Dropping them beside me they disappear as if they were never there and I reach for the first package. Chunks of meat were already carved into small bites and I arch a brow at Shippo who is hesitantly reaching towards little Tama.

"They asked the butcher for little cuts." the fox answers my unspoken question. I pull him into a grateful one armed hug, being mindful of the hungry little maws around me before releasing him to feed them before they got hangry.

Ok so, for those who don't know, touching raw meat is gross, I don't care what time period you're from. But I don't want any kind of fighting between them so I hand feed them the meat, one piece at a time, making sure they each take turns. At first there is a mass of scrambling to the fresh meat in my hands but I pull it back and let out a taking noise I used to use on Buyo when he would try to get something he wasn't supposed to have. By the third cycle, they realize there is a pattern and they stare expectantly but patiently waiting their turns, Shitorin even reading up on her paws playfully each time it is her turn.

"Well Lady Kagome, that is quite a sight."

I jump guiltily at Miroku's voice, frowning when all four gourged hatchlings hiss menacingly, and by that I mean adorably, at the one who started me until I calm them," Miroku, why didn't you say anything?" I demand but there is not real anger in my tone. Sheesh, give a girl a heart attack why don't you.

"I merely did not wish to interrupt their feeding. It is a rare sight indeed to see a dragon's first feeding. Typically the parents will hide them from any and all threats." he answers,"These dragons are unfamiliar to me and Lady Sango has little clue of their exact speicies either."

I frown a little but shrug,"They look like western dragons to me, but I just assumed they were native here too." I mean, stories from my time place all different kinds of dragons all over the world. But where is it said each dragon only existed in the region it's stories came from?

"Well, all I can do is try to raise them to be good dragons that don't eat humans, right guys?" I ask, rubbing Momo's eye ridge, earning a pleased pur. His scales feel velvety soft and all I can think of is a small cat as they all crowd closer, demanding rubs as well.

"It seems they have bonded well to you. " I nod happily, just glad they seem like they are going to do well. My stomach gurggles and I remember I haven't eaten yet. Shippo is right there with a bowl of steaming stew and rice, and I am once again grateful for the little fox. For a moment, I can hold onto this happiness and forget the trouble outside of the hut. For a moment, everything is right in the world. I commit this moment to my memory because I know I am going to need it in the coming days.

-.-. .-.-.-

My brood and I are awakened by yells of terror and I am grabbing my bow and out of the hut in a flash, my jeweled collection all clinging to me stubbornly, despite the moment I tried to convince them to stay in the hut. I'm expecting a horde of the undead to have breeched the walls, or some other kind of crappy wake up. What I am not expecting is to be looking down my arrow at Inuyasha's half brother who looks very much like he wants to melt everyone present, myself included judging by the waves of irritated, almost murderous demonic energy rolling off of him..

Quickly I put down my bow and try to think of anything but the fact even when looking annoyed at my very existence he manages to look like a freaking god. How is that even fair? I mean that perfect hair alone is enough to make me want to choke him with it, couldn't he at least smile or something? I mean yes we've been on slightly better terms with my helping him out with Rin, but to show up with that high and mighty pissed off expression out of the blue? What is his problem?

My presence calms the screaming but we get many confused looks as they watch our stare down intently. Suddenly I see the barest flash of confusion in his golden eyes before he speaks finally," Tell your humans to resume their tasks and then you will explain to this Sesshomaru exactly what you have done this time to disrupt the peace of the lands." He orders , making me bristle. Clenching my fist I resist the urge to tell him just what I think of his imperial attitude, but something stops me. Maybe it's the faint lines beneath his cold golden gaze, or the tense drawn of his typically aloof(and perfect) lips. Sighing I force a cheerful smile and look to my people,"It's alright, he is a friend." Mostly. I make sure I only think the last part and turn towards my hut, becoming him to follow me and checking all four of my little dragons are secured, each set of gem colored eyes locked on the dog demon, even when I give him my back to hold the mat aside for him.

"Which priestess are you. Inuyasha's or Kagome?" he asks as soon as the mat falls shut. Ok so my heart jumps a little when he says my name, it's sexy as shit, but I've sworn off dogs after the Inuyasha fiasco. They are purely eye candy and firmly in the friend zone. So I keep telling myself. To remind myself I am annoyed with him I answer simply," Yes" and won't clarify further, startling poor Shippo who is still kind of scared of him even with our better terms. He has never seen me be anything but respectful to the dog demon so I guess iu can understand why he looks terrified.

"Woman, this one is not here for games but answers." he growls, golden eyes flashing.

"Well you certainly aren't going about it the right way are you?" I snap back. They hatchlings shift slightly, adjusting to be comfortable as I settle onto my cushion.

"This Sesshomaru wishes to know why the human dead are not staying dead, which endangers this one's ward, and also why you look similar to the undead Priestess, have the eyes of this one's, associate, and smell unfamiliar." he says, surprising me slightly, for many reasons, not least of which is the pause as he seemed to be lost for words for a moment. I glance at Shippo. He hadn't mentioned I smelled different, neither did Inuyasha. "This one comes here for answers as it seems to always be connected to my brother's group when trouble arises."

"Oh, so trouble happens and it's my fault?" I demand with an eye roll. Ok so maybe kinda it is. The zombies came when I was saved by Kikyo and the jewel is m.i.a., soooo, maybe there's a connection, but his attitude is not called for whatsoever. "Where is Rin?" I ask, before I can press his buttons too far.

"Hn. You must be Kagome. The undead one would never be so presumptuos or disrespectful." he says, but there seems to be a small shift. His golden eyes are glancing over my dragons but he hasn't asked yet, surprising me honestly.

"Yes, Kikyo did something to save me when we fought Naraku. I nearly died, but whatever she did worked and this is me now. The zombies came around the same time, so it's probably connected but without knowing what Kikyo did exactly, I don't really have any answers for you," I say relenting slightly.

"Rin is safe in Mother's castle for the time being until a better safe area has been found." he answered finally. Maybe I am crazy but it looks like his eyes tinge red for a moment as I fill him in on my almost death. Ok, ignoring that, too much crazy going on to question his instability too.

"Well that's good. " I say feeling an awkward silence starting before he asked,"So how did you come by the clutch of dragons in the west?" he asked, dropping his typical tact.

"Well... we were bringing in some new survivors and found one of these guys parents with Yomu here already hatched, and I couldn't leave them there to die." I answer, expecting the same disdainful reaction Inuyasha had with the dragons.

"Ever full of surprises and the magnet for trouble aren't you woman?" he comments, a hint of a smile playing in his eyes.

Whaaaaa? Was that a joke? Tama nudges me and I close my mouth with a snap,"They haven't been any trouble at all. But surprising, yeah, I guess I've kind of gotten used to it." I answer, glancing away, deciding the dragons in question are more interesting than the attractive if annoying dog demon in front of me.

"Kagome. "

I spend a solid minute refusing to look up, trying not to shiver in response to him saying my name, but the heavy silence made me glance up.

"This one has been concerned for the welfare of you and your pack with such troubles. As you are pack through Inuyasha, as much as this one loathes to accept the fool, I wish to offer you all a place free from this plague until it can be cured." He says finally.

"If you loathe to accept him, we won't trouble you with our presence then. As you can see we are doing just fine. " Ok so maybe the rejection is a little harsh but I mean a girl has to put her foot down somewhere. It was something I had read about in a dog training book, and it seemed to work with Inuyasha. Sesshomaru is fully a dog so this should totally work better with no repercussions right?

His brow arches and instead of annoyance or anger like I expect he smirks, looking highly amused. Okaaay then? since when is he any good at accepting no as an answer?

"If that is your wish Lady Kagome, then this one shall inform Rin of your choice. She was looking forward to seeing you again." he says.

Shitorin lets out an alarmed shriek at my holy power flaring with my anger, which only amuses the asshole more,"Bastard, playing dirty like that." I huff," I am not leaving my people here without me, nor am I moving so many in these unsafe conditions no matter how much I want to see her only to go somewhere they may not be welcome and my friend definitely won't feel welcome. If you're quite done with your games, my dragons are hungry and I find myself in no mood for company.

Gods, I want to smack that amused smirk in his gaze right off but I stop myself as he obeys my demand for space, rising with unenviable grace. He turned to leave before passing and reaching into his sleeve," One last thing, this one brought you a gift in payment of one you gave Rin last time you saw her." I still, wondering what he is going to do now. He sets a package on the low table by the doorway and shoots me the barest, all be it sexiest of smirks,"Something to help with your moontime since it starts today."

I can feel the blood draining from my face in mortification as he leaves, only the weight of Momo comfortably napping on arm preventing me from throwing something at his retreating form. Bastard. I take back every nice thing I've thought about him. He's a Bastard, a Jerk, a freaking Pervert!

I mean I don't even know if I still have a cycle and he makes comments like that?! What the hell? And he already had them prepared, like he was planning for it...Sighing I push those thoughts away, striving for calm so the dragons can relax and rest. Kirara nuzzles my side gently before mewing and pointing her delicate nose towards a basket that had been left by the villagers this morning. I frown and move to it, pushing aside the wicker lid before smiling, my mood lifting slightly. Apparently they had been hard at work capturing live mice, I assume from around the store house and made a gift of them. This is great because it means I might be able to get my brood to practice hunting. I mean, you never can start them too early right. Grabbing a mouse from the basket I turn to see I have the undivided attention of all four dragons. Good, This ought to do us all some good.

_**AN:**_

**Hey, so this one felt pretty long to write honestly, but in a good way. I was going to just leave it at the hatching but that felt too short, also I wanted to introduce Sesshy in this one and get things moving with them too. I would love to hear feedback on your opinions, I now there are not many zombie inuyasha fics or dragon ones and I like both, soooo enjoy. thanks for reading, stay tuned, and don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

As a little girl, I had sometimes dreamed of seeing dragons, and princesses and magical places. As an adult I am realizing that child me was... naively stupid. Magic typically leads to trouble; princesses always seem to need rescued, or else they have so many responsibilities they want to scream. The dragons though, ignoring the fact they are bottomless pits for food and occasionally let out little sparks that risk catching the whole village on fire by mistake, they are wonderfully, utterly delightful. Super clever and just so adorable, my little scaled babies all seem to be learning even faster than they grow.

The smallest, Momo, is already the size of a fox in the two weeks since they hatched, the others each a bit bigger, about dog sized by comparison. It is getting to be a handful to walk around with them since they all seem to need to be touching me.

Currently I am carrying Momo like a teddy bear, something he enjoys by his pleased purring noises. Shitorin has latched onto my back like a backpack, her tail curled around my waist securely occasionally stretching out her golden wings and trilling in amusement at the reactions of the villagers. Tama and Yoru walk at either side of me, each bumping my thighs with their heads from time to time.

We are going on our daily perimeter walk, checking the walls are holding from the sporadic attacks of wandering hordes of the undead, these walks also give the dragons more of a chance to freely stretch their legs a little without them being underfoot in the progressively cramped living quarters of the village. Soon we will have to expand the village's perimeter.

Shaking my head, I turn my attention to my glittering brood and smile, relaxing a little. Momo starts to squirm, wanting free so I let him go. Chittering happily, he twists his long serpentine neck to almost smile at me before running towards the wooden wall. Talons pierce the carefully warded wood as if the sturdy wood were little more than cloth, and he climbs up it easily. I am not sure if I find this adorable or terrifying but I cry out when his tiny form launches away from the strong wood. Peach wings stretch out and I sag with relief when they hold his weight, my smallest dragon being the first to take flight. Is that normal? I mean, I have no clue if they should be flying already or not. Should I be pushing them more? They are already fairly proficient at capturing ground bound prey, but... I glance at the other three, all crooning excitedly, three pairs of gem eyes watching his progress as Momo flaps his wings, going only a little higher before tilting and gliding back towards me in lazy circles. Rosy eyes look almost smug as he gets closer. While he seems to be a natural at flight, it is quickly made clear his aptitude does not extend to landing.

As graceful as he was in the air is about as clumsy as he is landing and I can't help as I giggle, checking him over carefully once he finished tumbling end over end. I am not the only one laughing, both his siblings and the watch on the wall witnessing his shame.

He shakes his little head before his body relaxes and his chirps his own amusement as well. Of them all, he definitely is the fastest to forgive, closely followed by Shitorin.

He rears back up on his hind legs and looks at me pleadingly and I crouch carefully to pick him back up, mindful of Shitorin clinging to me. The others seem in no hurry to copy his attempt at flight, making me purse my lips. "You guys are so lazy you know that. At least he is taking the initiative." I chide them playfully, Shitorin licking my cheek with her velvety tongue showing how serious she takes me.

"Will make us hungry, not much food." I jump at the unexpected voice, looking down at my obsidian dragon, questioning if I actually heard him speak. His narrow maw opened again, his mouth not seeming to match the words he is saying, which seems the norm for demons in their animal forms," Prey is far and flying is tiring." he rephrased slowly as if making sure I was paying attention this time.

"Listen here buster, I'm the mama, no patronizing me and since when can you all talk?" I demand, quickly beginning to feel like I am floundering here. I mean, this is starting to feel like a stupidly steep learning curve.

"Been watching and listening!" Comes a higher, sweeter trill, Shitorin speaking now that Yoru the ringleader had broken their silence. "We waited because of food like brother Yoru says. We don't wanna be a burden mama."

The others all chirp in their agreement and I sigh, shoulders slumping. So, dragon 101 is going to be really upped on my list got it. I sigh, glancing around in hopes of seeing some sort of small animals for prey, and coming up short before sighing and focusing on what I can deal with. "Alright then, well you guys need to build up your strength so you can grow up big and strong, I'll worry about food but thank you for thinking of it." I say, smiling a little, touched now I am past the shock of their newest shared ability.

"Right now, I am deciding how far we can safely expand the village walls. We're getting a little cramped right?" I say, mostly talking to myself. The idea of a project excites them, all four focusing on me before bolting off at once.

Yoru sits up on his haunches, looking from one end of the wall to the other, the sun flashing across the garnet of his under wings he splays out for balance. The others all seem to respond to some gesture, an unspoken order, spreading out. Tama moved straight out from the wall, her talons sinking slowly and deliberately into the earth with each step as she closes her emerald eyes.

I stand where I can watch them all, wondering just what they are up to before Tama stops and suddenly slashes across the ground with her built in tiny but lethal daggers. "Here for now mama." she says, not explaining more than that. I move towards her and stop half way, realizing there is a burrow, probably filled little rabbits or something. Sad to think of but it would be a good food source, I realize going by their suggestion we would be adding a good amount of space but also, it should also not do too much damage to the forests around us either while still giving us the clearing that warns us of encroaching hordes.

Shitorin and Momo are busily clawing line work into the dirt to box off their recommended suggestion and I have to agree. This would give us enough space for both more food gardens as well as a few more homes. I am so busy visualizing the potential project, I don't notice the blue flaring of my aura until the smell hits me right about the same time as my brood's squawks of alarm. I can't believe I got so careless. In a flash all four dragon-lings are beside me, maws open in angry hisses before they really surprise me.

Wings spread, each manages to flap with enough force to lift off of the ground. All four are flying which would be delightful under any other situation. Now all I can do is stare in shocked surprise as four sets of talons firmly but mindfully grasp my arms. I can feel the effort of their straining but they actually lift me from the ground and only self-preservation keeps me from fighting or shrieking at suddenly being air-born. As we hit about the halfway point in the wall height, I see them breaking the tree line. I would have never made it to the gate and that thought chills me to the bone. A wall of the undead snarls and gurgles their protests as they swipe futilely in the air at where my feet had been.

Three quick drum beats warn the gatekeepers to lock up and warriors to their positions as we cross over the wall to the safety of the village. All four of my babies collapse, little chests heaving with the effort of their flight and I take a moment to pull all of them as close to me as their size allows, trembling a little at the close call and with gratitude of their efforts.

"Go back to the hut guys, you did wonderful. I am going to help the others." I urge them. Three obey me without issue, one, ever so stubbornly, does not, any guesses who?

If you guessed Yoru, go enjoy a cookie or some other treat. He looks insulted to think I even consider fighting without him," I go where you go." he said, little scaled jaw jutting out in a gesture that would be a bit endearing if it wasn't so frustrating.

"Go eat and rest, you did your part, now let me do mine." I order firmly. I nearly shriek in frustration when instead of obeying as he typically does, he starts moving determinedly towards the wall where the sounds of the undead banging into the heavy wood can be heard.

They are too young to be hitting the rebellious teen phase... why is this just my luck? Closing my eyes, I center myself before taking off to the battle, my bow and arrows pressed to my hand without my even needing to ask anyone.

Some of the villagers are carefully throwing down bowling ball sized rocks, smashing in skulls of the undead as they attempt to scale our walls, others who are trained in archery are carefully using bow and arrows to pierce eye sockets into the vulnerable brains of our attackers.

The most ingenious in my opinion though, are the ones who managed to fashion long naginata inspired weapons, light enough for the women and elderly to use easily, sturdy enough to force through the decaying flesh into the weak spot without risking the safety of our easiest targets.

Pride fills me as I watch how efficiently my people are responding to the sudden threat and things don't seem to be going too bad.

I don't knock on wood fast enough though because I quickly see where our problem lies. This group is far larger than the typical troops of undead that batter our walls. There's at least a hundred, most likely more though because they aren't exactly milling aimlessly with the scent of so much "food" nearby. They clamber carelessly over the for real dead, unintentionally using the corpses as a grotesque ladder, slowly reaching higher up our defenses.

I glance around between arrows at the grim faces and realize I am not the only one to have noticed our growing disadvantage. Yoru lands beside me, more arrows in his maw and I smile slightly, patting his eye ridge in gratitude before he darts off to fetch more for the others, making himself as helpful as possible after we had banned the use of fire so close to our walls.

As the first wave of long spears grow weary, they step back and the next set slide in place easily, leaving the first group of defenders to head down to be by their families and help prepare in case our walls are breached. A flash of red catches my eye and I see Inuyasha staring longingly at the sword at his hip. I shift through the ranks of villagers and rest a hand on his lightly, "It's too dangerous this close to the wall." I remind him.

"Keh, at this rate they're gonna get over soon and you see it too." He hisses back, displaying enough tact to keep the conversation between us. Panicked cries draw my gaze to the other side of the village's walls, their watchers announcing with another three beats more undead coming from the other side, likely drawn by the snarls of the first pack. Thinking every curse word I possibly know and making up some more for good measure I glance at my friends. Then I look at the silent, scared villagers, all eyes not currently fighting, without exception, are locked on me and I want to hide.

Sensing my distress, Yoru appears at my side, nudging me gently, crimson eyes concerned not for his fate, but for my well-being and it helps me focus and anchor myself.

"And we just made plans for the expansion," I sigh longingly.

"Mama, the dog from before is not a long flight from here." I jump a little at Momo's voice. He may be the smallest, but his voice holds a subtle sense of sedated power. "I can make it in a few minutes to get his aid." he offers, landing with a little more grace beside me. I notice his tummy is rounded, showing he must have filled up before coming to see me. "I'm fastest. They can't touch me." He adds, trying to persuade me, seeing how I am eyeing the undead below.

Inuyasha looks irritated at having to seek his brother's help but he has matured enough to accept help when he finds a fight he can't handle alone anymore. If even he is willing to accept Sesshomaru's help... I clench my fists, thinking back to his last visit and the way he seemed determined to rile me. The village comes before my pride. Period.

"Get him but be safe Momo." I say, kneeling to be on level with him. I rub the smooth scales along his jaw and place my forehead against his for a moment. "And come back to me quickly." I say softly, my eyes watering slightly at his confident smile as he for the fourth time today takes flight.

Rising, I place a steadying hand on Yoru, spotting the other two weaving between villagers below us, I realize they are carrying buckets of water for them to drink from and smile. "Yoru, go eat your fill. You've done well but now we have to hold them off while we wait and the others have already eaten." Ruby eyes glare petulantly up at me, "Only if you do." he huffs, a bit of smoke curling from his nose with his temper.

"He is right Kagome. Rest while you can, today won't be easy. They aren't letting up and you'll need whatever energy you can store up for whatever comes next." Inuyasha agrees with my traitorous whelp. Rubbing my temples, I pass off my bow to the next archer joining the ranks along with the order to try thinning the ranks from the rear while the others focus on the ones against the wall. The more we can slow the pile up the better.

Inuyasha joins those at the wall, taking a modified naginata in each hand and helping out, obviously alert for his brother. I can only wonder why Sesshomaru was lingering around, not that I'm complaining. His help would be amazing right about now. Or perhaps, he was returning? I mean it's been two weeks and none of the canines I've met are good at taking no as an answer.

Well, I suppose answers will come after we make it through this mess. Yoru flops down beside me, his sisters moving to our sides with food and water for us both. Yoru digs into his meaty cuts greedily, making me giggle a little. For all of his maturity and bossiness, he is still a child when it counts. I glance at my plate of meat and glance at the two in front of me, wondering if they remember I don't do raw meat. Shooting me a cocky grin, Shitorin sits and wraps her tail around her lithe form before blowing golden flames towards the stone platter in my hands, roasting the meat in moments without scorching my hands.

"I've been practicing." she declares happily. I shake my head but dig into my own food with a little more restraint.

Once I am rested, I head back up on the wall to relieve some of the villagers, trying to test my undead controlling abilities from a distance. The eyes of a few flicker blue for a moment or two but from this distance and with them whipped to this degree of a feeding frenzy, there is not really much I can do to dissuade the undead from my village. It's with a wave of relief and only a twinge of concern I look up, sensing both Momo and the familiar flare of Sesshomaru's energy. These undead have little care for anything demonic when human flesh is so close, and Sesshomaru is not yet within sight so the horde has not heeded the demon's announcement of his arrival. Interesting. I watch the tree line eagerly for the first glimpse of my opal and peach whelping, blanching in surprise when I see him bundled cozily in Sesshomaru's Mokomoko, projecting smugness even from this distance.

Yoru, Tama, and Shitorin join me, pressing against each other and my sides as they seek out a glimpse of their clutch mate. I smile down at them before focusing once more on the silver haired demon lord strolling regally towards the village gates as if there were not hordes of slavering undead between himself and his destination.

Before I can begin to panic, seeing a few of the undead begin to turn towards him, acidic green poison begins to drip from Sesshomaru's claws, forming his signature whip and he begins his deadly dance, Momo hanging on easily and seeming to enjoy the ride. His whip moves so fast it is nearly invisible to the naked eye, the undead seeming to simply dissolve into a million pieces as they near the dog demon.

Watching him fight is mesmerizing, his white clothes and silver hair a beautiful blur as he lives up to his name of the killing perfection. I can feel the air of the villagers shifting as the undead from the other side of the wall start circling with the growing noise of the enraged zombies fighting Sesshomaru. The promise of any meat at this point has the undead desperate, not that they have shown any sort of mental capacity before now, but still. It's like some glorious macabre dance, brown and black bloodied body parts raining around him but nothing entering his 'bubble' of poison.

Just like that the insane wave of undead is gone, though the effect they caused is still very much here. While everyone is openly relieved to still be counted among the living, we all feel a bit uneasy. If not for Sesshomaru would we have survived this? What if another, bigger horde stumbled across us? I hate that I have to rely on someone else, even after all of this time. But I am still grateful he came, especially after his last visit with my, slightly over the top, temper.

I also hate he was right but that is a very small drop in the chaos of my mind. Small hands pull me back from my spiraling mind, the guards opening the gates for Sesshomaru at I focus on Shippo and the three of my young dragons who are with me. For them, for all of people here I know I would swallow every drop of pride and sleep on a bed of hot coals if it meant keeping them safe. Sango and Miroku are tending to the elderly who insisted on fighting on the walls with the more able-bodied warriors.

With my brood and kit attached, I make my way down to greet our savior, envious of the fact not a single silver hair was out of place after such a battle. Jerk. Still I smile at him, taking in the rest of him. Again, I notice small signs of fatigue that I doubt anyone else would have even picked up on. A tightness at the corners of his eyes, faint lines near his mouth and his god like full lips pressed tightly together though when golden eyes meet mine, he paused and seemed to relax slightly," This one is glad to see you and your pack survived. This one was coming to inform you of sightings of large groups like this."

"Well, message received. Why don't you come to my hut and we can have some tea and figure out our next steps?" I offer a lot more sincerely than I expected.

He nods and glides towards my home without needing me to lead him. The rest of the village takes the hint and all of them try to relax, those not on watch duty heading towards their homes to rest for the time being.

"I'll stand watch with Inuyasha." Shippo volunteers, bounding off to join him without waiting for me to say something. Smiling and glance at my scaled children and they stare back blankly, making it clear they would not offer the same tact.

Momo finally slides free of Sesshomaru's fluff once we settle in the hut with the water on to boil, still seeming beyond pleased with himself. We all sit in silence, Sesshomaru and I watching each other, while the whelp-lings all stretched out comfortably around the fire.

"Thank you Sesshomaru. Things would not have ended so well if you didn't show up." I say, shifting into a bow of gratitude due.

"Hn."

I take that as both "you're welcome" and" get up." Sitting back on my heels he is staring at me with an expression I cannot quite place. "Is that offer still on the table?" I ask, resisting the urge to bristle when he smirks slightly.

"After your sound rejection, this one has decided to add a price. You must agree to find this one a suitable mate." he answers, a hint of his typical off-color humor peeking through. "In exchange this one shall also assist you with the raising of your whelps as I am certain you are realizing your knowledge of their kind is direly lacking and This one shall refrain from picking fights with Inuyasha. And you must agree to whatever training this one decides you shall need to survive and lead properly." he said as if he is being the most gracious man in the world and not, not... gah I don't even have words to describe his arrogant assholery!

Clenching my fists, I manage to stay calm, "Define suitable."

"Powerful enough that aside from when she is pupped, this one shall not have to often rescue her from this disaster or another, unflinchingly loyal, preferably some measure of attractive though it is not required, light colored eyes, no brown. Even tempered. Unattached would be simplest, but if you find one who is claimed by another and meets all of the other requirements, this one shall decide if the challenge is worthwhile..." he lists off, seeming highly amused as I serve tea for both of us and struggle to resist the urge to roll my eyes at his blasé disregard for other's lives and choices, as well as his less than easy to meet terms, where could I even begin to find someone to meet those terms?!

"Are you certain those are all of your terms Lord Sesshomaru?" I ask, letting just a little of my irritation color my words to let him know just how ridiculous I think he is being with these demands.

His sinful smirk makes me reconsider my words before he speaks, "Two more conditions. Rin must approve of your choice, and she must be untouched by another man."

"Why don't you just marry your reflection," I mumble under my breath, tensing when his sharp eyes locked on me, one brow quirking upwards slightly reminding me of his incredibly sharp hearing. The snickers of my amused dragons did nothing to help the situation as I shrug unapologetically and seriously think over this arrangement.

I swear this is his messed-up idea of a joke. It's the end of the freaking world and he wants me to find him some exotic blushing virgin bride to make puppies with?! You gotta be kidding me. I feel a gentle bump against my side from Shitorin. I do need help with them, and I really think it is just wishful thinking to believe our village could survive another wave of undead like the one we, and by we, I mean Sesshomaru, just dispatched. I have learned to never turn down an opportunity for training and with these new mystery abilities, it wouldn't hurt to have someone there to help me figure it out.

"And what happens if I try my best and can not manage find this perfect woman you have in mind that meets all of your criteria or we find her and she does not want you?" I ask, wanting to ensure failing in this ridiculous stipulation wouldn't screw up everything for the villagers and my little ones.

The smirk he shot me both warmed my blood and made me want to run as he seemed to think only a moment before the words left his lips, "Then you shall have to step away from your role as the priestess to this village and submit yourself to her role as lady of the west." he answered, looking every bit the top tier predator he is. Oh goodness why does that excite me... oh no, please tell me he can't tell I'm... The subtle flaring of his aristocratic nose lets me know he realizes exactly what effect he is having on me and my face burns in embarrassment before I look away.

He couldn't be sincerely interested in me like that. I mean I meet some of his criteria, true, but I am still human... I think, and his needing to come save me and the villagers now proves that I am nowhere near strong enough...

Suddenly he is nearly nose to nose with me, those golden eyes pulling me in, his warm breath over my lips, "Tell me Ka-go-me, will you accept this one's offer? Do you think you can find a woman to meet this one's standards or shall you simply accept the role as lady of the west for simplicity's sake, with all that it entails?"

My heart is pounding in my ears and my thighs are clenching together. My name drawn out over his lips like that is doing things to me that don't even begin to make sense. Maybe I slipped and knocked my head, and this is all a hallucination. Sesshomaru looks like he has already made up his mind on what he wants, but he is giving me a choice. Is it really a choice? Why am I so hot?

A sharp nip on my side has me yelping and jumping forward, knocking my forehead against Sesshomaru's to add to my mortification, Yoru looking unabashedly at me, "You were forgetting to breath Mother."

Ok so pain and mortification mean this isn't a hallucination, got it. He still wants an answer... Could I accept what he wants? Could I sell my innocence off, just like that? Hell not even just my innocence, my whole being, I mean in this time, married women are property of their husbands right? And how can I take care of my village if I am supposed to be some lady of the west? The weight of Sesshomaru's expectant gaze on me keeps my heart from calming. However he is nothing if not honor driven, and he knows all of this is for my people, so I could never abandon them. Swallowing hard and looking down, I can't find my voice with all of this so I simply nod. My face is on fire and my forehead smarts from knocking into the silver haired dog before me. His chuckle sends my libido into overdrive and then I feel the searing heat of his soft lips on my skin, right against the spot that connected to his rock-hard head. Clawed fingers, gentle as anything grasp my chin and guide me to meet his gaze, "This one is uncertain between You or Inuyasha who is more obtuse."

Searing lips against mine stop any protest of mine at his words as I struggle just to remember how to breath, my burning body responding of its own accord, leaning into the contact, humming with lustful energy I don't remember ever feeling so strongly before.

And suddenly I am cold, my body aching with longing as he pulls away, smirk still in place as the hut mat is pulled aside by Sango coming to offer food.

She pauses, looking from Sesshomaru to me, to the amused looks of my brood, shooting me a look that would be demanding explanations soon, but I am still wrapping my head around the words I was able to absorb. Sesshomaru wants... me? Those requirements of his was that just one of his jokes? It certain falls within his sense weird sense of humor and he does seem to enjoy getting me frustrated...

"For clarification Kagome, your answer is yes?" He asked, the barest hint of a smile playing about his lips, one Sango likely wouldn't notice. Blood rushes to my face. That jerk just wants to make me say it out loud... "Which question did I answer yes to again?" I ask innocently, deciding two can play at his game. Sango can witness his answer and make certain I am not making a fool of myself.

Of course, the stupid dog has no shame whatsoever as his deep cool voice answers, "You agreed you will be my Lady of the West, in all regards."

Sango looked as shocked me with his blatant, utterly shameless admission, the platter of food slipping from her fingers, only to be caught by an eager Tama. Satisfied his purpose has been met his sends me a smoldering gaze that has me clenching my thighs more tightly and he leans down, running his tongue over my lower lip and then my jawline before grazing his deadly fangs gently over my earlobe, piercing the flesh. A flare of his demonic energy flashes for a moment before he pulls away, smugly eyeing my ear before rising, "There are more hordes like the one I took down nearby. You should have the humans begin packing to travel quickly. This one shall arrange appropriate transportation for them, Kagome."

I can only watch as he leaves, his silky hair the last flash of him I see as the mat falls in place. Sango looks at me, her chocolate eyes wide, seeming conflicted between awe and concern, moving to kneel in front of me.

Her cool fingers are gentle as she brushing my hair aside to see the ear Sesshomaru bit as I attempt to compose myself.

"He really did it." she murmurs, making me frown.

"He did what?" I demand, wondering just what he did to my ear.

"The Daiyokai's mating mark." She whispers, "I did not think it was actually something I would ever see. My father told Kohaku and I about when we were just kids. He used his essence to mark you as his chosen mate." she said, turning to reach for my traveling pack, finding my pocket mirror easily and gingerly passing it to me for me to see. By mark she seems to have meant energy-based jewelry. A single earring dangles from my ear now where before was none. A stud the same color as his eyes supported a dangling chain, on that a small sapphire crescent moon hung, twinkling cheerily in the firelight back at me.

"This is permanent isn't it?" I asked, my heart racing as I reach up, feeling to see if there is a way to undo the earring to pull it off. No dice, it doesn't budge.

Sango seems just as surprised and shocked as I am," It's an old magic, almost never used from my understanding. I can gather the records and stories we do have while everyone packs, but as far as my father told us, death is the only way out of that kind of bonding. I vaguely remember a couple stories my ancestors documented about coming across a couple demons with the mark before but I can't remember the details. Hopefully the records survived the years." She says, unable to hide the concern in her deep brown eyes. That emotion alone has my neck prickling. There's something about it she isn't sharing, either because I won't like it or she truly can't recall and does not want to worry me, but the sense of foreboding is already sitting firmly in my gut. Sesshomaru knew exactly what he wanted the minute he set foot in my village. I just want to know why and to what ends.

Well hell... so much for avoiding dogs.

**_~ITSAL~_**

**AN: Ok so this chapter has been mostly done for a little while, I just warred over the ending of the chapter and have been very busy over the past few weeks. I know I have other stories I am neglecting. I promise I haven't forgotten them, again just super busy, a little depressed and writers block but mostly just busy and tired. Complaining aside I hope you all enjoy this and would love love love if you all could take even 2 seconds to review. I am having a blast writing this story and am just as excited as you all to see where this goes and hope you will continue to accompany me through this journeys end. Again much love guys, read and review! and join me next chapter to see just what happens in the dog days of Kagome's life XD**


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